6 Feet Under and the Point

If everyone is eventually going to die, if there is nothing after death, then what is the point of doing anything?


What difference does it make whether one was rich or poor in life? What difference does it make whether one was skillful in playing poker well or not in life? What difference does it make whether one was good or evil in life?


If all there is the material world then I can't see how anything we do would matter. If after death and we're buried six feet under and eventually decay, everything is temporary.


I do believe that there is a point ot life and I believe that death is not the end of one's existence. I don't know if I believe that there is a point to life because I think death is not an end to existenceor because I believe in life after death because I want to believe there is a point to life.


My question is basically this: Can there be a point to life if death is the end of one's existence?

Since you cannot prove to me that you, or anyone else besides me actually exists, I feel I am wasting time answering your question. The thing I perceive as time in my self-constructed view of reality, that is...I will do it anyway, however.


Yes. If death is the end of one's existence, and one's own conscious mind is the only thing that can be truly proven to exist, then pleasing one's mind would seem to be the goal. The irrelavance of your existance once you die given the above parameters does not take away from that fact that you can (at least seemingly) provide marginal utility to yourself when alive. Since nothing else definitely exists, the only true marginal benifit is that to he who can realize it, your concious mind (actually mine, but that's details). The constrait of time on one's life may be self-constructed, so the minimization of the provided utility per unit time as time approachs infinity is not a valid arguement. It is thus proven (incomplete, but I hope you get the point), that to provide marginal utility to your own mind by creating situations which provide satisfaction or happiness would be point of your life, given that there was nothing after death.


-g-

Get the money... if that's not the point it's at least a good idea while you're figuring it out...

"Can there be a point to life if death is the end of one's existence?"


YES! In fact, if this existence is all there is, then what we do with it would seem even more important than if this were merely a waiting room for our subsequent immortal existence.


I do believe that one cannot have a sense of purpose in life without faith. However, that faith need not be in the existence of an afterlife or supernatural beings. I place my faith in the value of humanity and believe the purpose of life is to contribute to the survival and wellbeing of our human community.


-Mike

Even if death is the end of personal existence, why should that imply that what happens while alive is meaningless?


Also, it would seem a very self-centric view if one should think that it is only one's self that matters--the impact one has on others should count for something too.


Finally, whatever force or creative spark the universe possesses which spawned you in the first place will continue to exist after you are gone. It may be that this is actually closer to our true selves than are those accoutrements which we have come to identify as ourselves or as aspects of ourselves. If the laws of thermodynamics hold true, then energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be transformed. If the universe gave birth to you once perhaps it can again sometime. If it can't or if it won't then it still seems true that you are now part of the universe and this cannot change, though your state may be greatly transformed. If consciousness arises once why can it not arise again. We are ever changing; life and death may just be the most dramatic changes of all. It's all a mystery in many ways but I think it is probably somehow erroneous to assume that all ends at death. Even if all consciousness really does cease for one forever, the elements go back into the mix and new life is ever created--and if we left the world better than we found it, then the future will be better for the new consciousnesses which will arise. If we are part of the universe then we are part of that too. These are all reasons I'm trying to be a better person...I just wish I could do it better;-)

Sure. The point is whatever you want it to be. The idea that there can't be a point to life because death is the end of you is very self-centered. The changes that you make to the world will affect other people's lives. Besides which, life is its own point. Isn't living good enough for you? Does there have to be something beyond this?


Chris

Death is the great equalizer.